Veg Chowmein Recipe

PREP TIME

30 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

50 mins

 

RECIPE TYPE: main

CUISINE: indo chinese

SERVES: 3-4

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for cooking noodles:

• 150 to 200 gms or 5.5 to 7 lb noodles (plain or whole wheat noodles or flat noodles)
• 5 to 6 cups water, 1.25 to 1.5 litres
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sesame oil or any other oil

for stir frying noodles:

• ¾ to 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
• ¾ cup grated or shredded carrots
• ¾ cup shredded cabbage, green or purple cabbage
• ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped french beans
• ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 small to medium onion or 1 medium spring onion, finely chopped (reserve the spring onions for garnish)
• ¼ cup thinly sliced capsicum/ bell pepper (green or yellow or red) or about 1 small to medium bell pepper
• ¼ cup sprouts (optional)
• ⅓ to ½ cup tofu cubes (optional)
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp finely chopped celery (optional)
• 2 to 3 green chilies, finely chopped (skip if making for kids) or ¾ to 1 tsp chili sauce
• 3 tsp soy sauce or add as required
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup or add as required (optional)
• ½ tsp black pepper or white pepper powder, add as required
• 2 tsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water
• ½ tsp rice vinegar or regular vinegar
• 2.5 to 3 tbsp sesame oil or any other oil
• salt as required, add in moderation as soy sauce already has a lot of salt

step by step veg chow mein or stir fried noodles recipe:

1. bring 5 to 6 cups water to a boil. also add ¼ tsp salt in the water.

2. add the noodles. no need to break them.

3. cook the noodles.

4. allow the noodles to cook completely. we don’t need to cook them al dente, since towards the end we will be just tossing the noodles. different types of noodles require different cooking time. so prepare noodles according to the package instructions.

5. drain the cooked noodles in a colander.

6.  rinse the noodles in running water very well. this method stops the cooking process.

7. add ½ tsp oil to the noodles.

8. toss them well, so that the oil gets coated evenly on the noodles. this method gets rid of stickiness from the noodles. cover and keep the noodles aside.

9. when the noodles are cooking, you can chop & grate the veggies. keep aside.

10. prepare corn starch paste with 2 tsp corn starch and 2 tbsp water. keep aside.

11. heat oil in a pan or wok. on medium heat, first saute the green chilies, ginger and garlic for about 30 seconds. green chilies add quite some heat in the dish. skip if you do not prefer them or if making for kids.

12. add chopped onions. saute for a minute.

13. add sliced button mushrooms and finely chopped french beans.

14. stir and saute on a medium flame till the edges of the mushrooms get lightly browned.

15. add grated carrots, shredded cabbage, chopped celery and sliced bell pepper.

16. stir and increase the flame to a high. stir fry everything on a high flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

17. add soy sauce. at this step you can also add tomato sauce or red chili sauce/green chili sauce. since i have already added green chilies, i have not added chili sauce.

18. then add black pepper or white pepper.

19. season with salt.

20. stir everything and then add the corn starch paste. stir the corn starch paste before adding it to the vegetables.

21. stir and saute for a minute on medium flame.

22. add the cooked noodles and increase the flame again.

23. stir and quickly toss the noodles with the veggie mixture. a lot of hand work is required while tossing and mixing the noodles.

24. lastly add vinegar and give a final mix. switch off the flame.

25. serve veg chow mein steaming hot in serving bowls. you can also garnish these stir fried noodles with about 1 to 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds and spring onion greens.